shawnethomas

“What The Centurion Can Teach Us” (Acts 10 sermon)

Posted on 2018/03/05 by Shawn Thomas

Well I learned something new this week: Cheryl & I had dinner with Chris & Gina Bailey, and she made the best homemade eggrolls. I asked her what was in them, and one of the ingredients she mentioned was “white pepper.” I had never heard of white pepper before — but it was great!

There are so many things in this world, and God has given people such a variety of gifts and abilities, that there is always something you can learn from every single person — and if we are wise, we will listen and learn.
This week we read one of the great stories in the New Testament, of Cornelius the centurion. And there are some very important lessons that this centurion has to teach us: Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons | Tagged Acts 10, Acts 10 sermon, American flag symbol, baptism, baptism point of no return, baptism symbol, Baptist, commitment, Cornelius, Ephesians 1:13, faith, heaven, Holy Spirit, hymn To God Be The Glory, Muslims and Christian baptism, Nik Ripken, racism, Romans 3, salvation, sexuality, sin, subway, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives, the vilest offender who truly believes, universalism | Leave a comment

Stand By And See

Posted on 2018/02/28 by Shawn Thomas

“But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.’”

What did Israel do to bring about their salvation that day by the Red Sea? NOTHING. Their command from Moses was merely, “Stand by and see” what God would do to save them. And they did watch what God did as He saved them by splitting the sea and destroying their enemies.

This is also a picture of OUR salvation. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged cross, Exodus 14:13, faith, Jesus, salvation, trust, works | Leave a comment

“Leave Us Alone”?

Posted on 2018/02/27 by Shawn Thomas

“Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wildereness.” (Exodus 14:12)

Is this not the basic attitude of many today as well: “Leave us alone.” Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship | Tagged cost of discipleship, discipleship, Exodus 14:12, sacrifice, service | Leave a comment

The Search For Delight (Psalm 37:4 sermon)

Posted on 2018/02/26 by Shawn Thomas

“Hedonism” is the belief that pleasure is the most important thing in the world, and that you should live your life, for pleasure. Most Christians would say that hedonism is wrong — but a few years ago pastor John Piper asserted that hedonism is actually good — IF you are seeking the right kind of pleasure. And he introduced the idea of what he calls “Christian hedonsim” — that life IS about finding your pleasure and delight in GOD, who designed us to be satisfied in Him. This what our verse for today teaches:

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Illustrations, Sermons | Tagged Alexander Von Humboldt, Amazon jungle, Bible Reading, Brave Companions David McCullough, C.S. Lewis, Christian hedonism, commitment, daily quiet time, delight, delight yourself, Delight yourself in the Lord, desires, devotion time, devotions, Divine Country, Ecclesiastes, effort, family, football, fulfillment, garden of Eden, heaven, hedonism, Hop on Pop, Job, John Piper, joy, Made To Crave, marriage, occupation, personal worship, pleasure, prayer, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 17:17, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 42, Psalm 4:7, quiet time, reading, river of delights, scripture memory, sin, Song This Blood, soul mate, vocation, worship | Leave a comment

It’s Not Too Much

Posted on 2018/02/26 by Shawn Thomas

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.’” (Exodus 13:1-2)

It is striking that God has no hesitations in claiming the firstborn of everything. “It belongs to Me,” He said. That is true. He MADE those firstborn. He created them all — and all the “other” born as well! They are ALL His, and He can require whatever He will, whenever He wants, without recrimination. It all belongs to Him. It is not “too much.”

It is the same with anything in our lives. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged Abraham and Isaac, Exodus 13:1-2, giving, love, obedience, sacrifice, service, tithe, tithing, vocation | Leave a comment

Not Up For Negotiation

Posted on 2018/02/22 by Shawn Thomas

“Pharaoh callled for Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.’” (Exodus 8:25)

That sounded like a logical compromise. Moses and Aaron had told Pharaoh that God had commanded them to go and worship Him in the wilderness (7:16). Pharaoh was perhaps rightly concerned about losing his slave labor source, but on the other hand, God’s miracles were beginning to weigh heavy upon the land: they had already experienced the plagues of frogs and gnats and flies. So he offered a compromise: Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged ambassadors for Christ, Bible, compromise, Exodus 8:25, God's word, II Corinthians 5:20, leadership, negotiation, word of God | Leave a comment

Not Our Faithfulness

Posted on 2018/02/21 by Shawn Thomas

“So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage.” (Exodus 6:9)

One thing a reading of Exodus makes very clear: God did not deliver Israel from their captivity in Egypt because of the faithfulness of its people, or its leaders. Which actually should be a comforting thought for us. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged assurance, Exodus 6:9, faithfulness, God's word, II TImothy 1:12, II Timothy 2:13, promise, salvation | Leave a comment

The Other Side Of Love

Posted on 2018/02/20 by Shawn Thomas

“With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity; You consume as a moth what is precious to him; surely every man is a mere breath.” (Psalm 39:11)

Psalm 39:11 should be a standard memory verse for God’s people — but most have probably never heard it. Yet it explains so many of the painful things that happen in our lives, and heeding it might cause us to avoid so much hardship. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged chastening, discipline, father, Hebrews 12, love, love and discipline, other side of love, Psalm 38:1-3, Psalm 39:11, scripture memory verse, sin | 1 Comment

“The Questions of Moses” (Exodus 3:10-4:1 sermon)

Posted on 2018/02/19 by Shawn Thomas

When we are reading through God’s word like we are, we need to look for certain things. Like is there a command we need to keep; or a sin to confess; or a prayer to pray using this verse? Is something repeated? If it is, that must be important. One of the things the Lord brought to my attention as I read Exodus 3 & 4 this week was that as God called Moses to go and deliver His people, Moses asked the Lord a series of questions. These questions were important to him as he faced God’s call on his life. And these same questions are important for US as we hear from God about what He wants US to do with our lives, and in His church, today: Continue reading →

Posted in Sermons | Tagged Aristides, church, D Day, Exodus 3:10-4:1, faith, General Eisenhower, God, Hadrian, I AM, I AM WHO I AM, I am with you, Joseph, man, Moses, names, questions, resumes, salvation, service, theology, trust, What If?, Yahweh | Leave a comment

The God They Didn’t Warn You About!

Posted on 2018/02/19 by Shawn Thomas

“O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, and chasten me not in Your burning anger. For Your arrows have sunk deep into me, and Your hand has pressed down upon me.” (Psalm 38:1-2)

“Rebuke … wrath … burning anger … arrows … You hand has pressed down upon me.” If these words sound strange to many readers of Bible studies, devotionals and sermons today, it is because they are conspicuously absent. Unless you read the actual text of scripture, you may never encounter these concepts. And yet they are an important part of the revelation of God’s nature, and His dealings with us. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Doctrine/Theology, Uncategorized | Tagged anger, Bible Reading, Bible studies, chastening, devotionals, judgment, Psalm 38:1-2, punishment, sin, theology, wrath | Leave a comment